Hot Air Balloons, like airplanes, are federally
registered and regulated aircraft that are required to adhere to the
same testing and maintenance standards as other aircraft. You may
notice registration numbers, commonly referred to as 'N' or 'tail'
numbers on balloons just like you see on airplanes and helicopters.

Inspections and maintenance must be performed by a FAA
certified repair station on a yearly basis or after every 100 hours of
flight time, whichever comes first. At LTAirway, we rely on Flying
High Balloon Services to maintain our equipment and ensure that it
is safe for flight season after season.

Airplanes and balloons alike are similar to
automobiles in the aspect of variety. Just like the automotive
industry has Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge, there are many different
manufactures of balloons throughout the world. Each manufacturer
has its own different models, standard features, and available
options. The balloons we fly are made by FireFly
Balloons, an American company located in North Carolina founded by
Tracy Barnes in 1972.

Below you can find information on the balloons I own
and fly, and also a collection of some of the balloons I've had the
opportunity to fly, or at least get a little 'burner time' in over the
years.

"The
LTAirway Fleet"

Balloon Name: Libertas

Manufacturer: The Balloon Works

Model: FireFly F8B-15

Size (cubic feet): 90,000

Date of Manufacture: 01-1996

Libertas was added to the LTA fleet in 2015. It
came to us from Oklahoma and it was originally built as a promotional
balloon for Liberty Bank.

Libertas is the word for 'Liberty' in just about every
language except English, and it was the name of the Roman goddess of liberty and freedom, whom the Statue of Liberty was
based on.

Balloon Name: Hocus Pocus

Manufacturer: The Balloon Works

Model: FireFly F7-15

Size (cubic feet): 77,000

Date of Manufacture: 01-1995

I inherited Hocus Pocus when my father passed away in
2006, and it is the balloon that got me involved in flying again after a
nearly 15 year break. Most of my flying has been done in
Hocus Pocus, and it is the balloon that I earned both my private and
commercial pilot certificates in.

It was designed using the same colors as our family's
former balloon 'Jubilee'. It's name was derived from the fact that
my father always saw a hot air balloon as a magical thing that could go
from a pile of parts in the back of a pick up truck to a giant majestic
flying machine in a matter of minutes.

For a bit of perspective, Hocus Pocus' 77,500 cubic
feet of volume would hold approximately 77,000 basketballs. That
is the equivalent of five 2,000 square foot homes with 8'
ceilings. A furnace for those homes would typically be rated at
100,000 BTUs. The burner that provides the heat to make Hocus
Pocus fly is rated at 42 million BTUs and is fueled by the same propane
that you may have for your barbecue grill.

Balloon Name: Nocturnal

Manufacturer: The Balloon Works

Model: FireFly F7-15

Size (cubic feet): 77,000

Date of Manufacture: 08-1992

I purchased this balloon in 2009 as an alternative to
use for tethers and evening glows and named it Nocturnal because I
thought it 'looked good in the dark'.

Because of its age and general condition it needed
several repairs and upgrades, and over the years it evolved into a bit
of a project balloon. After some fabric replacement, recoating and
other repairs it was once again suitable for flight and it returned to
the sky for the first time in many years in 2012.

Balloon Name: Jubilee

Manufacturer: The Balloon Works

Model: FireFly F8B-15

Size (cubic feet): 90,000

Date of Manufacture: 11-1989

My father was a co-owner of Jubilee and it was the
balloon that I did most of my early flight training in and the balloon
that I took my first solo flight in at age 16. After 317
flight hours it was sold and eventually retired.

In 2008 Michael Scott was able to reunite me with what
was left of Jubliee and it is currently continuing on in with it's life
in ballooning as best it can as a couple of ground tarps and miscellaneous
pieces in my garage.

"The
Former Fleet"

Balloon Name: Dream Shadows

Manufacturer: The Balloon Works

Dream Shadows was one of my favorite balloons as I was
growing up and was owned by Danny and Diane Moulden. When Danny
retired from flying, the balloon was sold and it eventually made it's
way to Texas where it too was retired.

Shortly after I located it and made arrangements to
purchase it, the Mouldens made their way back into the ballooning
community and their daughter Lori purchased a similar looking balloon
and began working toward her pilot's certificate. We thought it
would be fitting for Dream Shadows to go full circle so it ended up in
the care of Lori and her husband Brian Hutchinson.

Balloon Name: National Video

Manufacturer: The Balloon Works

I got this balloon to use as a demo / walk-thru
envelope from it's former owner in Texas. It was older and has
been packed away for years with dryer sheets, and the smell of the
fabric from age and deterioration combined with the strong odor put off
by the dryer sheets earned this balloon the nickname of 'Dirty
Video'. It has since been retired and made it's way around the
local ballooning community a bit and has been parted out.

"The
Family Fleet"

Balloon Name: FireCat

Owner: Paul Costello & Connie Goodnow

FireCat was originally owned by Gene Brown, who along
with Paul, was among the first several balloon pilots in the Topeka area
and was the pilot of my first balloon flight at age 2. After his
passing, my mother (Connie) and Paul purchased FireCat and have been
flying it as often as they can around home and at a few out of town
events.

Though emblazoned with the Power Cat logos, it was not
commissioned by nor tied to Kansas State University other than, of
course, having been granted their permission to use the logos.

Balloon Name: Billy Bob

Owner: Paul Costello

Billy Bob was built by RAVEN Industries in 1983 for
Adventure Restaurant Corporation to promote the Showbiz
Pizza Place chain.

In this balloon's early years it traveled to many
places across the country for various events and restaurant openings as
well as being flown here at home.

Though the last rebranding of Showbiz Pizza Place
to Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza took place in 1992, Billy Bob is still
a crowd favorite whenever it flies, reminding people of days gone by.

The Showbiz artwork on this balloon is inlaid (sewn
on) but both of the Billy Bob bears were painted on by Charles
Markert, who is a legend in the ballooning world for the artwork he
has done on many balloons.

Balloon Name: Spirit of Topeka

Owner: Paul Costello

Spirit of Topeka was built to promote the city and
show pride in our hometown. 'Spirit' maintains a special
place in the hearts of many though she has not flown for several
years.

"The
Former Family Fleet"

Balloon Name: Nautilus

Owner: Paul Costello

Balloon Name: Bloomin' Sunshine

Owner: Jerry Goodnow & Darlene Haslouer

Nautilus was purchased by Paul in 1979 when it had
only 55 hours on it, and it is the balloon that I crewed for the most in
my younger years. Paul sold it to my father and co-owner Darlene
in 1987. They turned it in for a discount on the purchase of Jubilee in
1989 with 426 hours in the logbook. After that it was flown in
Albuquerque by Bill Sandin, and to my understanding the fabric in the
top third of the balloon was replaced at some point. Upon the last
confirmed sighting of this balloon, it was strewn across Herb and Carol
Wilcox's field after the tornado that damaged their property outside of
Anthony, Kansas.

This was the balloon in which my mother, my father,
and I all had our first lessons in, years apart for each of us.
Also of interest, this balloon's basket, which my mother, father, and I
all had our first solo flights in is now owned and being flown by Bill
Sandin, who was the pilot that flew this balloon in Albuquerque after we
traded it in.

Balloon Name: The Green Apple

Owner: Paul Costello, Lee Benson, Ruth Scholl

Paul, Lee, and Ruth formed a 'balloon syndicate' and
were all part owners of The Green Apple. The whereabouts of this
balloon are unknown, but rumor has it that it was believed to be in
Lee's possession in St. Louis.

In the '90's the National Guard balloon team was at
the Huff 'n Puff Hot Air Balloon Rally and one of the envelopes they had
with them was equipped with the skirt from The Green Apple.

"Balloons
I've Flown (*or at least got a little burner time in)"

Balloon Name: Libertas

Owner / Pilot: Tony Goodnow

Balloon Name: SheDANigans

Owner / Pilot: Daniel Sheehy /
Danielle Brouillet

Balloon Name: High and Free

Owner / Pilot: Chris Sabia

Balloon Name: Final Frontier

Owner / Pilot: Carol Sherman

Balloon Name: Spirit in De Skies

Owner / Pilot: Michael Scott

Balloon Name: JARL

Owner / Pilot: JB Aiken

Balloon Name: Firecat

Owner / Pilot: Paul Costello /
Connie Goodnow

Balloon Name: Jellyfish

Owner / Pilot: Brian Carlson

Balloon Name: SS Journey

Owner / Pilot: Sterling Emerson

Balloon Name: Cherry Bomb

Owner / Pilot: Brian Carlson

Balloon Name: Jester

Owner / Pilot: Geoff Lemon

Balloon Name: Annie

Owner / Pilot: Mike Hernandez

Balloon Name: Breaking Dawn

Owner / Pilot: Lori Hutchinson

Balloon Name: High Diddle Diddle

Owner / Pilot: Mike Loy

Balloon Name: Sky Shark

Owner / Pilot: Jason Harlow

Balloon Name: Spirit in the Sky

Owner / Pilot: Michael Scott

Balloon Name: Joyride

Owner / Pilot: Kelli Keller

Balloon Name: Jack

Owner / Pilot: Brian Carlson

Balloon Name: Eagle

Owner / Pilot: Maury Petrehn

Balloon Name: Dirty Video

Owner / Pilot: Tony Goodnow

Balloon Name: One Love

Owner / Pilot: Jeromie Rose

Balloon Name: Whitey Tighty

Owner / Pilot: Chris Tantillo

Balloon Name: Dream Shadows

Owner / Pilot: Tony Goodnow

Balloon Name: Nocturnal

Owner / Pilot: Tony Goodnow

Balloon Name: Tropical Sunrise

Owner / Pilot: Brian Carlson

Balloon Name: Hocus Pocus

Owner / Pilot: Jerry Goodnow /
Tony Goodnow

Balloon Name: Jubilee

Owner / Pilot: Jerry Goodnow

Balloon Name: Calypso

Owner / Pilot: Nick Stroup

Balloon Name: RE/MAX

Owner / Pilot: Joel Sturdevant

Balloon Name: Carpe Diem

Owner / Pilot: Ron Cordray

Balloon Name: FireHawk

Owner / Pilot: Gene Brown

Balloon Name: Billy Bob

Owner / Pilot: Paul Costello

Balloon Name: Spirit of Topeka

Owner / Pilot: Paul Costello

Balloon Name: Nautilus / Bloomin'
Sunshine

Owner / Pilot: Paul Costello /
Jerry Goodnow

A special "Thank
You" goes out to all of the landowners across the country who allow
balloonists to launch and land on their property. If it wasn't for
your hospitality none of this would be possible. We are at the
mercy of the winds and consider ourselves lucky to meet so many wonderful
people when we drop in uninvited. We hope you have had a pleasant
experience and have some photos and special stories of your own to share
with your friends and families.